08/26/2026
Yesterday, our family lost a truly special man. 💔
There really aren't enough words to explain everything Jerry—our Pa—meant to this family or how far his influence has reached.
To Joey, he was simply Pa. He was more like his dad, his role model, his hero and one of the biggest influences in molding Joey into the man he is today. Pa and Granny played such a huge part in raising Joey, alongside his parents, and the lessons Pa taught him have followed Joey throughout his entire life.
If you knew Pa and Joey, you already know—when you saw Pa, you saw Joey. When you saw Joey, you saw Pa. They were together. That was just how it was. ❤️
And when I look at Joey's life now, I realize just how much Pa was preparing him for a future Joey couldn't possibly have known was coming.
At only 19 years old, Joey stepped into the lives of my three children and became a dad. He was young and had no clue how to be a father to three children.
But somehow... he did.
And the more I think about it, the more I realize Joey knew more about being that kind of dad than he probably ever realized—because Pa had already shown him exactly how.
Pa taught Joey through his actions that being a dad isn't defined by blood. It's showing up. It's staying. It's guiding, protecting, teaching, loving, and choosing those children every single day. It's becoming family because of the love you pour into someone's life.
Pa showed Joey what it meant to love and raise a child as your own. Then, years later, Joey took those lessons and became that man for my three children. ❤️
I don't know if Pa ever realized just how important those lessons would become in Joey's life, but I do. And I will forever be grateful to him for helping mold the man who became such an incredible father to my children.
Today, Joey is one of the most giving men I know. He loves hard, works hard, gives freely, and would give someone the shirt off his back. He's an amazing dad and an amazing Papa, and so much of the man I get to call my husband was shaped by the man Joey called Pa.
And now I get to watch that legacy continue.
When you see Joey, you'll most if the time see Hunter—but if you see Joey, you can almost guarantee you're going to see our grandson Eli. That little boy is right there with his Papa. ❤️ And every time I see them together, I can't help but think about Joey and Pa.
When you saw Pa, you saw Joey. Now when you see Joey, you see Eli.
That's a legacy. That's love and example being passed from one generation to the next.
Joey wasn't the only person Pa had that kind of impact on either. Pa's brother had so much more than a brother in him. Pa was more like a dad to Keith. My heart especially hurts for Keith and his family because he's lost not only his brother, but someone who filled that father role in his life as well.
Pa was so many things to so many people. He was a husband, He was a dad, He was a significant other. He was a brother. He was Uncle Jerry. He was Pa. He was a father figure, a role model, a hero and a friend to many. Every one of those titles represents someone whose heart is hurting today.
Pa fought one heck of a battle, and he fought hard. As heartbreaking as losing him is, there's comfort in knowing his fight is finally over. No more hurting. No more fighting. And I can't help but think about him being reunited with his loved ones. Knowing how much they loved one another makes that thought a little sweeter in the middle of so much sadness.
Pa didn't just leave memories behind. He left a legacy.
You can see it in Joey. You can see it in the children Joey helped raise. You can see it in Hunter. You can see it in little Eli. You can see it in Keith and in so many other people whose lives Pa touched.
Please keep his kids, his significant other, Keith and his family, his sisters, Joey, and every member of Pa's family and everyone who loved him covered in prayer. There are so many hurting hearts right now, and each one is grieving a different relationship with the same very loved man.
Rest easy, Pa. You fought hard. You loved your family, you showed up for people, and you helped mold some incredible men. You may never have realized just how far the lessons you taught Joey would travel—but they're still being passed down today.
Now go Rest High On That Mountain❤️🙏
You will be loved, missed, talked about quite often, and remembered for generations to come. **What you poured into this family didn't leave when you did. It lives on.**
